Just A Con
by AoiTsukihime
Summary: Rinoa was never really a gamer but somehow she gets wrapped up with them by shear accident and guilt. Set at a gaming convention for the game 'Last Magic' she'll learn that friends can come from all different sorts of people. AU Squinoa
1. Chapter 1 And It All Begins

Okay. I haven't written fan fictions in a long while so this is a big come back. So if there's anything that I need fixing on please tell me. This is a Squinoa... Um yeah... I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... Um... Yeah...

Summary: Rinoa was never really a gamer but somehow she gets wrapped up with them by shear accident and guilt. Set at a gaming convention for the game 'Last Magic' she'll learn that friends can come from all different sorts of people.

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"Mom, do you really have to do this?" Rinoa sighed, maker her mother giggle. It was a perfectly sunny day outsides and it seemed like only she noticed this. Yet, they were driving to a gaming convention.

"Rinoa, dear. You agreed to come because your father couldn't this time." Rinoa opened her mouth to speak but her mother continued. "Besides, it's not like there won't be other teenagers there. It's just a convention." Rinoa sighed at her mother's optimism. Ever since she was hired to record the theme song for the newest release of Last Magic, she's been invited to many conventions. Normally her father would be the one to accompany her mother. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to get time off his government job for this one since it was last minute so Rinoa volunteered. She was happy to get some time with her mom during her college years. But going to a gaming convention just seemed ridiculous to her.

'Well, it's not like it'll last forever. It's just a weekend.' Rinoa thought as the scenery flashed past. "The convention's in Balamb, right?" She asked breaking the silence.

Her mother just nodded. "But your father said you should stay nearby so I'm going to restrict it to just the convention center and the hotel. That should be enough for you to explore everything. Besides, you may like it." Rinoa just shrugged at the prospect of her really enjoying herself. At least she wasn't going to be extremely bored… well, maybe.

Rinoa handed the bellhop their luggage as her mother checked in. She was surprised that they weren't mobbed when they got out of the car. 'I guess they don't realize that Julia Caraway is among them. Or that she's even here.' Rinoa thought as she looked at all the dressed up fans. Her mother waved over at her from the front desk and pointed to the elevator. She walked into the elevator and held it open for her mother and the bellhop. Taking one last glance at dressed up fans, she let the door close.

"They're an interesting sight huh?" Her mother said as the elevator opened to the third floor. "Your father wondered if you'd be like that if you ever came with me. But I think you two think a lot a like." She gave a small laugh at the at the end of her statement. Rinoa never enjoyed being compared to her father at all. Saying she hated the man was a little much but it was close enough to what she felt towards him that she didn't care. The only reason she came with her mother to the convention was so her mother wouldn't be by herself facing all the fans.

"We just disagree…" Rinoa stated as she grabbed the bags from the bellhop. Her mother tipped the man for his help before closing the door.

"I know." Her mother replied, "But I have a busy schedule today and tomorrow. So we won't get to spend too much time together until Sunday. Is that alright dear?" Julia was afraid Rinoa would sulk throughout the whole weekend because of her.

"Nah, that's fine mom. I'm sure I can find someone to talk to in the convention who hasn't lost their brain to video games." Rinoa laughed. Her mother couldn't help but try and stifle a laugh as she reached for a large yellow envelope from her purse.

"Well, if you're going to run around I would suggest you wear this." She said as she passed Rinoa a laminated badge. On the front there was a picture of the new game's design art and on the back was her name and the words 'Exclusive Pass' on the back. Below her name there was also a barcode, which Rinoa pointed to it in a questioning glance to her mother. "It's something they just came up with for the exclusive passes. It's for getting into some of the special events. So they know you're certified." She pulled out her own badge and put it on a lanyard.

Rinoa just shrugged as clipped it to the bottom of her shirt. "Alright. I guess I'll see you for dinner tonight. Want me to call and see when we should meet up?"

Her mother gave her a nod, "Sure dear. I'll answer even if I'm in the middle of a panel. And don't forget you'll be with on Saturday night to judge the Masquerade!" Julia called as Rinoa headed out the room. There was a 'Mhmm' reply and the door closed.

Rinoa hummed to herself as the elevator went down. This was going to be a long weekend and she knew it. The elevator doors opened to the hotel lobby and a heated argument in the middle. 'Great. The crazies are already going to get kicked out.' She thought as she stepped out of the elevator.

"We've rehearsed this for ages! You can't just quit on us!" A girl with brown curled out hair yelled to another who was walking away. The other girl just continued walking towards the door. "Quistis!! Don something! You're the president!" She exclaimed turning towards a blonde with tied back hair. The woman named Quistis looked sternly at both girls from behind her glasses. She gave a small sigh and set her hand on the enraged girl's shoulder.

"Selphie, there's nothing I can do. Maya doesn't wish to do the skit anymore and if she quits I can't stop her. It's her decision." It was not the reaction Selphie was looking for as the other girl just walked out the double doors to the hotel.

"But without her we can't participate in the Masquerade." Selphie sulked, sitting on one of the hotel's couches. A man in a cowboy hat with his light brown hair tied back sat next to her. Rinoa thought of him as kind of cute if his long hair didn't make him look so feminine.

"Cheer up Selph. Maybe we can tweak the script so we don't have to include Maya's part anymore." He suggested more to Quistis than Selphie. He set a comforting arm around Selphie, who muttered something making him give Quistis an even more pleading look.

Quistis sighed, "I don't know how much we can do Irvine. Maya played Angel. We can't just cut out the main character of a game." She explained rubbing her temples. Selphie gave an even bigger downcast sigh.

Looking at the trio, Rinoa felt a bit bad for them. Sure she wasn't big on video games but she could relate when someone quit unexpectedly. She suddenly felt like she was intruding and shook her head clear. She took one last look at the trio and walked away. Right into someone. "Oh! I'm sorry! I should have looked at where I was going." She didn't get a good look at the man as he just continued walking away. For some reason, his lack of response struck a nerve. "Hey!" She cried out to the rude man, getting glances from everyone in the lobby. Rinoa stormed over to the guy, poking him in the chest, "You can at least say it's okay after I said I'm sorry! It's only polite!" She huffed at him.

Rinoa didn't notice but there was an exchange of glances between the trio and the man. Quistis quickly walked over with Selphie and Irvine following close behind. Quistis cleared her throat, "Excuse me miss. I was wondering if you could help us with a small dilemma." She said from behind Rinoa.

"Um… Okay?" Rinoa answered as she spun around to the trio. There was a big smile on Selphie and Irvine's faces as her own fell. 'What did I just say?'

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What do you think? Too long? Too short? I plead for feedback and I hoped you enjoyed the story so far! 


	2. Chapter 2 Sweet Little Lies

Ah!! I'm back! Well kind of sort of. This chapter was half written until recently. Kind readers, you may thank Freyjadour for politely telling me I should continue writing. Although I will do my best to update at least this story more. We'll see how long Freyjadour can keep me writing. I now present Just a Con! Second chapter!

Disclaimer- I don't own Final Fantasy VIII. Just the concept of Lost Magic.

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Chapter Two- Sweet Little Lies

Rinoa took a step back from the trip, bumping against the man once again. "Err… Sorry, sir." She muttered quickly again. "You know… I really don't know if I'm the correct person to help you." She replied to Quistis, trying to carefully chose her words. What was she to say to these people? She didn't even know them!

"Miss, please consider our request. We'll be staying on floor five, room twenty-three if you decide to accept." Irvine said as he led Selphie and Quistis away. He nodded to the man behind Rinoa, who followed the three.

"But, but! Irvy!" Selphie squealed, her eyes close to tears. "We need her to help! Squall bumped into a living breathing replica of Angel! We can't just let this pass us up!" She said practically breaking down. Rinoa watched as they walked off, guilt plaguing her soul with every step. As they entered the elevator, she dashed to keep the door open.

"Wait!" She shouted, surprising herself more than the group. Taking a deep breathe Rinoa continued, "I'll help."

No sooner had she finished, Selphie squealed and pulled her into the elevator. "Oh thank Hyne! Thank you! Thank you! You won't regret it at all! I am so grateful Squall bumped into you!" She exclaimed, jumping up and down with excitement. Rinoa just sort of dangled loosely in Selphie's arms with her jumping. Irvine and Quistis merely smiled at their new recruit.

"My name's Quistis Trepe, this is Selphie Tilmmit, Irvine Kinneas and Squall Leonhart. We're from Balamb Garden." Quistis introduced, pointing out each person. Rinoa couldn't help but stare at them in awe. Balamb Garden was part of the prestigious Garden University system. There was no way she could compete with the people in front of her. "Are you all right, Miss?" Quistis' question brought Rinoa back from her thoughts.

Rinoa nodded and stuck her hand out. "I'm Rinoa. Rinoa, uh, Heartilly." She lied. There was no way she was going to use her father's last name in this place. Especially not in front of fans, who would go crazy if they knew she was Julia Caraway's daughter. "So what am I supposed to do?"

Selphie immediately took her hand again, shaking it happily before allowing Quistis to properly thank her. "Thank you for helping us out. I know we really don't look like it but we're all rather big fans of Lost Magic." Rinoa could only nod as her hand was passed again.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Heartilly." Irvine said as he lightly kissed the back of her hand. She couldn't help but flush at his action while Selphie rolled her eyes. Making a mental note that cowboys couldn't be as crazy as she had seen on TV, Rinoa turned her attention towards Squall.

Before he could consider greeting her the bell to the elevator announced their arrival to the fifth floor. In truth Rinoa was thankful for the stop because it meant looking at him. Glancing up at Squall, she quickly looked back down to escape his gaze. His eyes just looked so distant. "So um… What am I doing exactly?" Rinoa asked as she followed him out into the hallway.

"Eh?? Haven't you ever been to a Last Magic convention before?" Selphie asked. Rinoa could tell she was surprised by her question. "You're a fan of Last Magic right?"

Opting for sounding stupid, Rinoa grabbed her necklace out of habit. "It's my first convention actually. I'm not really sure how everything goes." She replied hoping she didn't sound too stupid. The group seemed to buy her answer. "I'm to be playing Angel right?" Rinoa was about to ask more but a squeal from behind them interrupted her.

"Wow! You two look just like Marie and Elias! Can we take your picture?"

Selphie giggled at the girl and nodded. "Yeah! Of course!" She replied pulling on Irvine's arm. Quistis chuckled at her companion's enthusiasm. "Booyah! We're Balamb's Lost Magic Club and we're here to kick some serious butt!" Selphie cried as she struck a pose.

The other fans just cheered as Selphie seemed to really get into character for them. The whole convention thing was making Rinoa's head hurt. On top of that she hadn't realized that Selphie's yellow overall dress and Irvine's cowboy attire were actually costumes. "Can I get the script from you guys then meet up with you later? I think I feel a headache coming on." She asked hoping to get away from the group for a while.

A light tap on her shoulder had Rinoa turning her head into a white plastic bottle. "I always keep them on me." Quistis was holding out the bottle of pain relievers. Mentally, Rinoa was groaning at the prospect of getting even further involved.

"Thanks." Rinoa replied taking the bottle. She tried to look cheerful. She really did try.

"Come on. Selphie and Irvine will be a while so let's get you and Squall changed." Quistis said as she nudged Rinoa towards their room. It took Rinoa a moment to realize both of the mentioned were striking poses for the ever expanding fans in the hallways of a hotel. The stranger thing about it all was that it all seemed to be very natural for them.

As they walked into the hotel room Rinoa was given a bottle of water and a garment bag. "Here's the Angel costume. Do you think you'll be okay putting it on?" Quistis asked. Rinoa shook her head and hurried into the bathroom. Slipping off her day clothes of Bermuda shorts and a fitted t-shirt, she looked at the costume.

She had briefly recalled seeing the final version of Angel when her mother was recording one day. It was definitely something you wouldn't see every day but casual enough to be worn outside with only a few looks. The long duster was what really caught Rinoa's eye. It had a pair of painted wings on the back. At least they looked painted. Rinoa quickly dressed into the black tank and biker shorts. "Uh Quistis?" Rinoa called from inside the bathroom.

"Yes?" Came the answer.

Biting her lip Rinoa hoped Squall was nowhere near the bathroom door. "The skirt's a little big for me." She whispered to the other female.

Quistis let out a muffled laugh. "Here, let me see." Rinoa cautiously opened the door enough for Quistis to come in while holding onto the skirt, lest it slip. "Hmm… I'll have to adjust it about two inches but other than that everything else seems to fit you right."

"Did you make the costume Quistis?" Rinoa asked as she unbuttoned the skirt. "They're really beautiful." She said glancing back at the duster.

"Thank you. I had help from Selphie of course." Quistis replied. Rinoa could sense the pride in her voice. Secretly she wished she could do something as amazing as making clothes but Rinoa was never even patient enough to get through an art class. "Let me go adjust this so you can come out." Quistis said as Rinoa passed the skirt back to her and she left.

It took Rinoa a moment to finish putting on the duster and arm warmers. As she sat on the edge of the tub she tried to remember the storyline of Last Magic. Angel, Leo, there was something about it being a summer camp of some sort. Rinoa groaned in frustration as it became difficult to remember. She wasn't the sort of person to pick up games. No, she went shopping and watched movies with friends. Who would know about Last Magic?

As if on cue, her phone began blaring the so-called theme song of the very game she was pondering. Of course! Her mother would know! "Hey mom!" Rinoa answered, happy for her mom's timing.

"Hey honey, I was wondering how you've been holding up." Julia replied, slightly surprised by Rinoa's enthusiasm. She could have sworn her daughter would still be pouting over going to the convention.

Rinoa grinned. "I'm doing fine. I've met some people who are willing to show me around." She wasn't completely lying. "Hey um, mom, you think you could tell me what Lost Magic's about? The new one." Rinoa asked quickly.

There was a short pause between them before her mother spoke. "Your new friends must be into the game." Julia replied with a light laugh. "It's about a group of friends going to a summer camp then being torn apart by war. As they all try to get by one of the young boys meets up again with his childhood crush, who became a famous singer by using an alias. Those two are Leo and Angel. Later they meet up with their old friends from the summer camp and find out that both countries plan on trying to attack each other with a weapon secretly developed by Angel's parents. The weapon requires a strong magician to wield it and Angel just happens to be one. It all ends with the group fighting to destroy the weapon before either country can use it." By the end of the explanation, Rinoa's head was spinning. How was she to learn all this by the time-

A knock politely interrupted her thoughts. "I have to go mom. Thanks for the help." She said quickly. Julia chuckled as she wished Rinoa well and how happy she was to help her. "Yes?" Rinoa called through the door as she quickly snapped her phone shut.

"Quistis asked me to hand this to you." Rinoa felt her face flush slightly when she heard Squall's voice.

Allowing the door to be open just enough to stick her hand through, Rinoa peeked outside. "What happened to Quistis?" She asked as she tried to keep herself from staring up at Squall. The smell of leather permeated through the tiny bathroom. Rinoa swore to Hyne that she should really pick up the new Lost Magic. If Squall was supposed to be Leo she'd understand why so many females had picked up the game. Who wouldn't want a guy showing up in black leather and stormy blue eyes?

A flash of blue waved in Rinoa's face and she quickly made sure her mouth was closed. "She went to get our last two members." He muttered. Again he held out the denim skirt. Rinoa couldn't tell if he had caught her staring but she muttered her thanks and closed the door.

"This is going to be a long weekend." Rinoa silently groaned as she slipped on the skirt. Whatever Quistis had done, worked and now the skirt was settled neatly on her waist. Looking at herself she felt slightly guilty, she had already lied twice. Once to her new friends and to her own mother and something told her it wasn't going to stop there.

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Did you like? Yes, yes? Leave a review if you like so I know you like!


	3. Chapter 3 In The Swing of Things

Uhm... I said by the twentieth of June and for me it's still the twentieth... Hehehe. So for a sort of 'treat' you should go check out my Deviantart. Come on! You know you wanna! Okay I'll shut up and let you read.

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Taking a last look in the mirror, Rinoa walked back into the room. Squall was sitting in one of the chairs looking over a pamphlet. It didn't look like Quistis had gotten back yet making Rinoa slightly uncomfortable. "Should we be going to meet with the others?" She asked, not quite sure what she should be doing.

Squall shrugged and went back to looking at the pamphlet. Determined not to let Squall's cold athmosphere get her, Rinoa paced about the room until she heard the door lock click open. In walked an annoyed Selphie and behind her a slightly tousled Irvine. "Irvine, why didn't you just say no?" She pouted at him. Rinoa recognized the feat of puppy dog eyes and held her laughter.

"How could I say no to those girls?" Irvine replied as he hoped his girlfriend wouldn't burst into tears.

Selphie turned away from him and marched over to Rinoa. "Easy! You could have just said no! Rinny, from now on you and I are going to be hanging out together." She said, sticking her pink tongue out at Irvine. Half dragging, Selphie walked with Rinoa out the hotel room.

"Should we be leaving? Quistis said she'd be back shortly." Rinoa protested. She was surprised by the shorter girl's strength. Again she found herself riding the metal box of doom, known to people as an elevator. "Selphie… You'll work things out with Irvine, right?" Selphie just slyly smiled back at Rinoa.

"Can I see your passes please?" The question made both the girls stop in their place. A quick search and they were waved in by the man by the door.

The hall was large and filled with booths and people. If Rinoa hadn't been worried about Selphie and Irvine, she was sure her mouth would have fallen towards the floor. "Wow…" She muttered as she was pulled by Selphie to the closest booth.

"Look! Look Rinny! See there's Angel!" Selphie cried as she pointed to a figure in a large box.

Sure enough, Rinoa found herself staring at an almost perfect replica of herself. Despite the figure being about an eighth of her size, she noticed the character having golden streaks in her hair. "That's so cool but so creepy at the same time." Rinoa gasped as she picked the box up to examine the character closer. Looking back at Selphie she set the box back down. "So they have all the characters here?"

Selphie eagerly nodded. She pointed out a grim faced character in the box next to the one Rinoa had picked up. "See here? This is Squall's character, Leo! Mine's right here, Marie! But you know the names of the characters." She explained quickly before dragging Rinoa towards another booth.

For the next thirty minutes Rinoa studied the characters and storyline when Selphie wasn't looking. She was shocked to find that her mother also did the voice for her character, Angel. "I didn't realize mom was so into this project. Can't blame her… The storytelling sounds amazing." Rinoa muttered as she glanced through a pocket guide.

Rinoa let out a squeak as she felt a light tap on her shoulder. "Sorry to frighten you like that, miss. I was just wondering if I can take a picture of you. You make an excellent Angel." Rinoa came face to face with a girl no older than herself. Not wanting to disappoint, Rinoa set the guide down and stood there. "You can pose however you want." The girl chuckled slightly as she fidgeted with her camera.

Thinking back to the guide, Rinoa quickly recalled seeing Angel blowing a kiss towards Leo during one of her performances. Figuring it wouldn't be a bad pose she gave her best flirty but cute look and pretended to blow a kiss. The girl was ecstatic at the pose. "That's perfect!" She cried, getting the attention of other fans nearby. Soon Rinoa was surrounded by more than a few fans eagerly pulling out cameras.

"Hey Rinny we should, whoa!" Selphie seemed to break through the small crowd of photographers, giving Rinoa a chance to move normally again. The fans left, a few slightly dejected at missing the photo opportunity, but Rinoa was grateful for Selphie's interruption. "Wow, I didn't think they could grow to such masses!" The yellow-clad girl joked. Rinoa laughed lightly along with the girl but was slightly worried with what she should do next time she was asked for a picture.

"What was it you were saying Selphie?" Rinoa asked when she remembered that Selphie had tried to tell her something.

Selphie bounced as she remembered. "We should probably head back now. I'm sure Quistis met up with the other members." She explained as she led them out of the room. "I found so many things I want! Irvine better be ready! Wasn't the Dealer's Hall great, Rin?" Selphie asked. Rinoa nodded her head. She didn't feel as bad now that she had an idea about the game.

"Rinoa??" For the second time in the hour, Rinoa jumped. She recognized that voice a little too well. "I thought it was you!"

"Hi Seifer." Rinoa replied as she turned to meet the blonde guy carrying a bag labeled with a nearby fast food logo. Just what she needed this weekend, a great big blast from the past. "So what are you here for?" She asked trying to sound innocent enough. If Seifer was here it could cause problems for her.

Before the man could reply, Selphie squealed and started jumping. "This is great! Rinny if you know Seifer that'll make everything so much easier! You'll get along with us just great!" She exclaimed, beckoning both to follow her.

"So what really brings you here Miss Rinoa Ca-Ah! What was that for?" Seifer yelled as Rinoa took her heel off his foot. Selphie looked back momentarily at the commotion, only shrugging her shoulders when she saw nothing other than the usual glaring Seifer.

"My last name's Heartilly. Get it right!" Rinoa hissed. She didn't want Selphie or anyone finding out that she was Julia's daughter. It would be a bad idea.

Seifer seemed to get Rinoa's point and huffed. "What happened? Did they ask you to join them or something?" Seifer laughed. There was a protest from Selphie as she clicked the button for the elevator.

Crossing her arms, Rinoa replied, "Yes. Yes, they have. And I'm going to do it."

"Glad to hear you're staying with us, my dear!" Irvine said as he and Squall walked from the elevator. "Squall and I were afraid that you'd have run off with Selphie. Not that I would blame you." He added with a smirk. Selphie giggled and hugged him.

There was a moment's pause before Rinoa broke out in laughter. Despite having original hesitations, she found herself enjoying the convention. It was going to be an interesting weekend.

"Here's the script. Quistis told me to get you prepared for the masquerade." Squall said, handing her a few sheets of papers. Rinoa's laughing stopped as she stared at the sheets in his hand. "You have today to memorize the lines."

"What? Why didn't you give this to me when we were in the room?" She exclaimed taking the script from him. She walked towards a nearby bench and began studying the script.

Seifer let out a low whistle. "'Puberty Boy, if you want to get her to be your 'Angel' you better man up and be a lion.'" He said. Squall glared at the man as he quoted the game they were there for.

"Very funny Seifer." Squall muttered as he walked off.

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So I really would kind of like it if you reviewed... You know since you made it this far.


	4. Chapter 4 Falling In, Even Deeper

It would have been longer... Just I got stuck and this was where I had originally planned on stopping... Well, the original idea was to put up the story 'Last Magic' but I decided maybe not. Maybe at the end of Just A Con... Yeah. So 'Last Magic' is actually a story I'm writing and it's supposed to be a parody of the Final Fantasy series... It's really just elements... Okay shutting up now and letting you read!

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Barely able to contain herself, Rinoa broke into a laugh. "This is pretty good!" She called, pointing at the script. Squall had sat facross from her while the others left to go find Quistis and the other members. "But will I actually have to sing? I think that'd be a bad idea." Rinoa asked, pointing to the section of the script that had song lyrics.

Shaking his head Squall explained. "It's been recorded. You just have to memorize and match the words." The response made Rinoa smile once again. It was a simple action but Squall felt himself grow a little more nervous.

"Oh good, I was kind of worried that I'd actually have to sing." Rinoa said letting out a giggle. The script crinkled in her hands. "Squall, you'll help me understand cosplaying, right?" Rinoa asked. One of her hands went up to her necklace and grasped the circle of metal attached to the chain. It was an old ring of her mother's that she had found after they moved houses in Deling City. She didn't really ask about it, she just took it.

Squall looked at her curiously. "…I can." He replied, not sure what he should say. If he was supposed to say something at all, maybe she didn't mean him in particular but the whole group. But his reply seemed to comfort Rinoa and they both fell silent.

"You're not much of talker are you?" She asked with a small chuckle.

Before Squall could let out a proper answer he was interrupted. "I'm sorry but do you think you two could sit together so I can take a few pictures?" A man asked, his hands clapped together and head lowered slightly. "My girlfriend couldn't make it so I was hoping to get a lot of pictures for her of Leo and Angel cosplay pairings since it's her favorite couple out of the Last Magic series. Please?"

Rinoa looked over at Squall, her face slightly flushed. "Uh, I don't mind. Do you Squall?" He shook his head but his face held little change of expression.

"Thank you!" The man cried as he prepared his camera. Setting the script on the table in front of them, Rinoa scooted next to Squall. "Her favorite scene is where Angel and Leo are talking under the stars about where they are in life. I know it's hard on couch but you think you can do it?" He explained snapping a quick picture.

Rinoa felt an arm wrap around her shoulders before she was pulled in closer. "Just point up, like you're pointing towards the stars." Squall whispered. Rinoa wasn't sure but she swore she noticed Squall looking a little redder than when she was sitting across from him. Smiling, she pointed upwards pretending there was a sky filled with stars above them.

"You two are amazing! She will definitely be happy with these. Do you have a mail address I can send these to once I get them on a computer?" The man asked when he finally finished. Squall nodded and tore a small piece of paper off from the script Rinoa was studying earlier. From his pocket the photographer pulled out a pen, handing it to Squall.

"Excuse me Miss Angel, your entourage has arrived." Rinoa looked up at Irvine. The photographer's eyes widened when he saw the rest of the group. "Hello sir. Hopefully these two weren't too much for you." He said, tipping his hat slightly. The man shook his head and gratefully accepted the slip of paper from Squall. With a small bow of gratitude to Squall and Rinoa he hurried off with a smile on his face.

"Wow Rinny! You and Squall were perfect! It's almost like you two were really Angel and Leo!" Selphie said as she came up next to Irvine. She shot Squall an even bigger smile when she glanced over at him.

Rinoa blushed. "You were watching us Selphie?" She asked as she tried to cover her face. Honestly she didn't think cosplaying could feel so embarrassing sometimes. Many of the pictures she saw being taken, the people were so confident.

"Perfect pictures aside…" Irvine interrupted with a smile of his own. Behind him stood what Rinoa guessed, was the rest of the group. "Rinoa, this is Zell and with him his girlfriend, Karen. Zell, Karen, this is our replacement for Angel, Rinoa Heartilly."

Zell jumped back about a foot. "Dude! This is freaky! She looks just like Angel!" He shouted, pointing at Rinoa. Selphie appeared to be rather proud of herself as she giggled at his reaction.

Next to him Karen pulled Zell's hand down. "Zell, it's rude to point." She whispered to him. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Karen said to Rinoa, holding her hand out.

"It's nice to meet you too." Rinoa replied, hurrying to take Karen's hand. The moment they let go her hand was clamped by Zell's.

"Thanks for helping us out! We all had problems with Maya since she was such a bi-"

"Zell!" Quistis yelled before he could say anymore. Zell just gave a nervous chuckle under Quistis' glare and dropped Rinoa's hand. "But I think Zell's enthusiasm reflects our emotions. You're definitely saving us from a lot of trouble, Rinoa." Quistis said with a soft smile.

Rinoa couldn't help but give a quiet smile back. She felt horrible for lying to them and their sincerity just made it even worse. Then there was Seifer, who could have easily told them that she wasn't entirely who she said she was but was gratefully keeping his mouth shut. "I just wish I could help more." Rinoa replied.

"Well if you can get us in to talk to Julia Caraway that'd be awesome!" Selphie squealed. For a moment Rinoa looked at Selphie in silence. "But she's probably busy with the concert tonight."

"Concert?" Somewhere behind her Rinoa could hear muffled laughter coming from Seifer.

Selphie gasped in surprise. "That's right! You don't really know much about Last Magic do you? Julia has done a lot of songs for Angel since she becomes the singer for Shooting Star! Uh, that's a band from the game. So they have a concert of a band like Shooting Star coming and they got Julia to do some songs with them!" She exclaimed while showing Rinoa the pamphlet's page after stealing it from Zell's bag.

"Hey! Don't go stealing things that aren't yours!" Zell shouted as he grabbed back the pamphlet.

Before Quistis could break up the oncoming fight, Rinoa's cell phone rang once again. Everyone stopped and stared at her as she answered the phone. "H-Hi mom. No, I'm not getting into trouble. You want me now? Uh, I'm sure it's okay. Okay. Yeah. I'll see you there." Rinoa sighed as she closed the phone. "Will it be okay if I join you guys later? My mom wants me to meet one of her friends." Rinoa explained.

"That'll be fine. We still have some time before Xu arrives." Quistis replied, checking her watch. "How long do you think you will take?" Rinoa shrugged at the question. "Well, why don't we exchange numbers so you can call when you're done? Xu, our photographer, will probably want to get the photo shoot done early so we can enjoy the rest of the convention."

"Uh, photo shoot?"

At that point Seifer's low-key sniggering broke out into a full out laugh. "Rinoa, you really haven't gone to one of these con-things before have you? Here I thought you were lying!" He said with a smirk.

"Seifer? Rinoa? I take it as you two know each other?" Quistis asked as she put her number in Rinoa's cell phone.

Next to her Selphie jumped with glee. "That's right! You did know Seifer when he showed up!" She exclaimed.

"Oh well, we went to the same schools since we were little but I think I should really get to my mom now…" Rinoa chuckled nervously. She wasn't sure how she was going to explain Seifer was more or less part of her family. After getting stuck with him and his group for a project, he seemed to make up for the confidence she lacked. He was really like an older brother to her. "I'll be sure to call Quistis! Bye Selphie, Seifer, Irvine. It was nice to meet you Zell and Karen. I can't wait to pose with you again, Squall!" Rinoa said, waving slightly. Her last action made Squall look down as if the floor suddenly became the best thing to stare at in a while. As she walked away she let out another sigh before heading back into the convention center.

"At least she gets into character pretty well." Seifer joked barely catching the look Quistis was giving Rinoa. "What's wrong Quisty?" He asked. When it came to Quistis, Seifer actually sounded concerned. Which gave Selphie and Irvine chances to pick on the usually hot-tempered man.

Shaking her head, Quistis looked back at all the club members. "No. I'm just thinking too hard." She replied giving Seifer a small smile.

"That man…" Everyone heard Squall mutter. He looked slightly embarrassed when he noticed them watching him. "My father…" He held up his cell phone for them to read. On the screen there was an open text message, 'Son~ Going to meet Julia! Want to join? \^o^/ 3 Dad'

Selphie was the first to speak up. "That's so awesome!! You're going aren't you?" Her tone was sweet but Squall swore she was trying to refrain from beating him with her prop nunchaku.

"It was sent a half an hour ago." He pointed out, hoping to avoid more of Selphie's crazy moods.

"Man! We missed our chance!" Zell exclaimed, slightly frustrated. Karen was quickly there to console him as Irvine was trying to distract Selphie.

"Now, now baby. I'm sure Squall could always reply to his father." Irvine said, making Selphie look back at Squall.

"…Whatever." Squall said, trying to ignore the pleading looks. He wasn't in the mood to deal with his father at the moment even if he did manage to set up something.

"Don't you just love baby-sitting?" Seifer asked Quistis as she let out a long sigh.

* * *

Like it? Have a small problem with this chapter?Something need fixing? Then please review so I can make this a better read! Thank you for reading! And if you ever find that I wrote 'lost' instead of 'last' that's cause I'm more used to saying 'Lost insert other word' rather than 'last.' So please point them out so I can correct it!


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